How ubiquitous are they?
For now, RFID’s popularity with business and government is limited by cost. Smaller chips used by Walmart and other stores cost as little as five cents each. But according to a 2005 report by analyst Forrester Research, those numbers are based on high volume purchase of tags, making the technology prohibitive for smaller companies. Printable tags using semi-conductive polymers are in development and could reduce the cost but aren’t currently available commercially. But use is growing. On Jan. 10, 2007, IBM announced two pilot projects with an Italian division of Honda Motor Corp. and U.S. packaging material manufacturer Plaint that will place RFID chips in scooters and flexible packaging like the bag inside a cracker box.
